To say that you don’t often encounter a menu like the one at The Cajun Asian (1964 Airline Drive, Bossier City) would be underselling it. I’ve never seen a menu like it. There are crawfish wontons, jambalaya egg rolls, fried rice étouffée, Vietnamese iced coffee and funnel cakes. On its Facebook page, the restaurant is described as “Asian fusion,” but I don’t know; to me that would be like calling early rock n’ roll “rhythm and blues fusion.” This seems like an entirely new thing. And it’s good. See the full menu here.
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The funny thing about it – in my opinion – is just how well Vietnamese and Cajun foods get along on the same plate. The fried rice étouffée ($14.50), for example, seems like a crazy idea on paper, but tastes like a no-brainer. I found myself wondering why I’d never put étouffée on fried rice before. It makes so much sense, right down to the two excellent hush puppies served on the side. The same was true of the crawfish and cream cheese-stuffed fried wontons ($7.50). Those little things, served 10 to an order with a side of “Casian” dipping sauce, are delicious and addictive pockets of flaky dough, each with a crawfish tail and a dollop of cream cheese tucked inside.
Like Real BBQ and More in Shreveport, The Cajun Asian is a restaurant that should be unique enough to not only survive but thrive in a location that has seen countless businesses come and go. As the Be Bossier Blog’s Jessica Carr first reported, the restaurant is run by the same family that operates Pho L’amour in Shreveport, and the two restaurants share phở recipes.
Speaking of phở: The Cajun Asian serves some absolutely gonzo versions. There is a lobster phở that runs $29.50 and comes with an entire Maine lobster. There’s a Cajun phở served with shrimp, crawfish tails, and andouille sausage, which will likely be what I order on my next go-round.
It’s this kind of diversity that makes certain parts of Bossier City – mostly near Barksdale Air Force Base – such fun areas to dine out. If you’ve got an adventurous palate or you’re just looking to try something really, really different, give The Cajun Asian a try. If you wind up ordering the lobster phở, please, please post a photo in the comments.
If you enjoy this kind of writing about local food, check out Eat Here: A Food Lover’s Guide to Shreveport-Bossier.
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